- Cement production generates continuous high intensity noise (about 68.8–103.3 dB(A)) from crushing, grinding and heating, differing from burst-dominated industries.
- Chronic exposure harms workers: hearing loss, cardiovascular issues, sleep disturbance and stress, exacerbated by simultaneous exposure to dust and chemicals.
- Engineering, administrative and spatial controls form an effective hierarchy but face high costs, inconsistent regulation and scarce longitudinal evidence, requiring coordinated measures.
Noise Health. 2026 Sep-Oct 01;28(134):1118-1136. doi: 10.4103/nah.nah_153_26. Epub 2026 Oct 31.
ABSTRACT
The process of cement production is a somewhat neglected yet considerable contributor to noise pollution both in the workplace and its surroundings, as it produces high-intensity noise through various activities such as crushing, grinding, and heating. In the paper that follows, recent literature concerning the sources and effects of noise pollution in cement production is analyzed, and the effectiveness of various noise mitigation strategies is assessed. Publications from 2015 to 2025 were reviewed, along with some prior publications, focusing on various noise sources, effects on workers and the environment, and noise mitigation strategies. Loudness in cement-producing plants is about 68.8-103.3 dB(A) and is continuous in nature, unlike other industries’ processes, which are characterized by sound bursts only. Subsequent effects on job-related experiences and workers’ functioning include negative effects on hearing ability, heart problems, sleep disorders, and stress, which increases considerably due to the mixture of loudness with dust and chemicals; noise impacts animals’ behavior, communication, and habitat. Together, engineering controls, administrative controls, and spatial planning in facilities form a structured control hierarchy that has proven to be effective. However, its implementation is hampered by high cost and inconsistent regulation across regions of the world. Most of the evidence for the reliability of this approach comes from cross-sectional studies of single factories with scarce longitudinal data. Hence, noise pollution in the cement production process presents a major multi-faceted risk for employees, and to mitigate this risk effectively, coordinated engineering, administrative, and regulatory measures must be applied.
PMID:42976013 | DOI:10.4103/nah.nah_153_26
Share Evidence Blueprint
Save to Google Notes
Search Google Scholar
Save as PDF
⭐ My Revision List
